We’ll Get Through This Together
by kateg20
Summary: Gabriella has cancer. Troy is there to love and comfort her. Troyella


**This happened to a firend of mine. She's doing fine now but she gave me the inspiration after seeing her and her boyfriend right after her surgery.**

Gabriella Montez was putting her books into her messenger bag. Her boyfriend of almost two years, Troy Bolton, came up to her. He leaned against the locker next to hers. Gabriella closed her locker and jumped in surprise when she saw Troy standing there.

"Why are you packing?" he asked.

"I'm going to the doctor's. My sore throat is still bothering me so Mom's going to take me to get it checked out." Gabriella replied. "I'll be back before sixth period."

"Alright, I'll see you in seventh." Troy said kissing her gently. "Love you."

"Love you, too."

When the bell rang signaling everyone to get to their seventh period class, Troy raced to his class hoping to surprise Gabriella by showing up first. He sat down in his regular seat waiting for his girlfriend to show. Students rushed in quickly just as the bell rang. Troy looked to see if Gabriella had snuck into the back. But the beautiful brunette was nowhere to be seen.

After school, Troy went to Gabriella's locker. His and Gabriella's friends met him there. Chad Danforth, Troy's best friend had his arm draped around his girlfriend, Taylor McKessie's waist.

"Where's Gabby?" Taylor asked. "I thought she was going to be back after lunch."

"Maybe the appointment ran late." Sharpay Evans suggested from in between her boyfriend, Zeke Baylor's arms.

"I don't know." Troy stated. "I've got a funny feeling."

"Why don't we go to her house and see if she's alright." Chad suggested.

The whole gang walked out of school to make the short journey to Gabriella's house. When they got there, the Montez' car's trunk was opened. The group walked onto the porch. Troy rang the doorbell and Ms. Montez answered.

"Ms. Montez, is Gabriella home?" Troy asked.

"Now's not exactly a good time." Ms. Montez answered. "We've got a plane to catch."

"Is everything ok?" Zeke asked.

"Yeah, we're just going to Florida to visit my parents. Gabby's had a rough week. We'll be back Sunday night."

"Mom." Gabriella said as she appeared. "Nana is on the phone, she wants to talk to you."

Ms. Montez turned around. She took the phone and gently kissed Gabriella on the forehead. Gabriella smiled softly at the others. She stepped out onto the porch. Troy and the others knew that she had been crying.

"What's the matter?" Kelsi Neilson asked.

"Nothing." Gabriella answered.

"You're lying." Troy stated walking over to her. "Tell us."

"The reason I didn't go back to school was because the hospital had to run more tests."

"What kind of tests?" Troy asked.

"A biopsy," Gabriella answered as everyone looked at her in shock. "The doctors took an x-ray of my throat and found a mass. I may have thyroid cancer but the mass could be benign."

"So, why are you leaving town?" Jason Cross asked.

"After the biopsy, I asked Gabby what she wanted to do and she said she wanted to see Nana and Poppa." Ms. Montez said joining them.

"When will you get the results?" Chad asked.

"On Thursday." Gabriella answered.

"Baby, we have to go." Ms. Montez told her daughter.

Gabriella nodded her head. She grabbed her jacket and carry on bag. The others hugged her tightly. Troy pulled her to him and kissed her passionately. He then opened the car door for her and held her hand as she got in. Gabriella smiled slightly as she and her mother drove away.

"Don't worry, Troy." Zeke told his friend. "Gabby's going to be alright."

"She has to be." Troy said. "I don't know what I'm going to do if she isn't."

Thursday afternoon, Gabriella was at the mall with her grandparents. Mrs. Roberts held up a pair of pants up for her granddaughter. Gabriella smiled and shook her head. The three then noticed Ms. Montez talking on her cell phone. Mrs. and Mrs. Roberts held their granddaughter close to them. Ms. Montez turned around and hung her phone up. She walked to them as she began to cry. Gabriella knew right then and there that it was not the results they had wanted.

"I'm so sorry, Baby." Ms. Montez tearfully whispered hugging her daughter.

Gabriella stood there in shock. She had been so sure that the mass would be benign. But she had been wrong. She had thyroid cancer.

On Sunday evening, Troy was up in his room finishing up some homework. He saw Ms. Montez' car pull up to his house. Troy sprang to his feet and ran downstairs. Gabriella jumped out of the car and ran to the house. She ran up the steps just as Troy threw open the door. Gabriella collapsed into his arms. Troy could feel her body shudder as she began to cry.

"It's thyroid cancer." Gabriella cried quietly.

"So what happens now?" Troy asked.

"I have to have surgery."

"When?"

"Wednesday." Ms. Montez answered as she and her parents walked onto the porch. "Tomorrow we have to go in for her pre-surgery check up. Tuesday she's going to get the school assignments for the rest of the semester and then on Wednesday morning is her surgery."

"What's going on?" Mrs. Bolton asked.

She was standing in the doorway. She was about to say something else when she caught Gabriella's tearful face. Troy felt Gabriella shiver and pulled her closer to him.

"Can we take this inside?" he asked.

Everyone walked into the house. Troy held Gabriella safely in his arms. Gabriella was trying to compose herself. The young couple sat close together on the couch. Troy reached over for a blanket and wrapped it around Gabriella.

"What's going on?" Coach Bolton asked.

"Gabby had thyroid cancer." Ms. Montez explained as tears began to well up in her eyes.

Coach and Mrs. Bolton looked at Gabriella in shock. Troy pulled Gabriella closer to him when she began to cry again. He kissed the top of her head gently as she rested her head on his shoulder.

Two days later, Gabriella got ready for her last day of attending school for the semester. Her mom and grandparents were at the table eating breakfast when she came down. Gabriella sat down next to her grandfather. Mr. Roberts kissed her cheek softly.

"Troy just pulled up, Gabby." Ms Montez announced.

Gabriella stood up and kissed her grandparents goodbye. She said goodbye to her mom and then ran out the door. Troy opened the car door for her. Gabriella got in and leaned over and kissed him. Troy pulled out of the driveway and drove to school. When they got there, all of their friends rushed to meet them. Gabriella smiled and hugged them all. Troy took her hand and led her into the school.

Throughout the day, Gabriella was given all of the assignments for the rest of the semester from all of her classes. All of her teachers hugged her and wished her luck. Gabriella opened her locker and began to pull all of her books and put them in her bag when Troy approached her.

"Ready to go?" he asked.

"Yeah."

Gabriella closed her locker and knelt down to pick up her book bag. She stumbled slightly when she discovered how heavy her bag really was. Troy shook his head and then picked it up for her. He kissed her gently as he stood back up. Gabriella smiled happily. She wrapped herself in her coat and the young couple headed out. Troy felt Gabriella shiver beside him as the cool November air hit her. He wrapped his free arm around her as they continued walking to his car. The others were waiting for them.

"We just wanted to wish you luck." Ryan Evans said to Gabriella.

"And that we're going to be thinking about you all day tomorrow." Kelsi said.

"Thank you." Gabriella said tearfully. "That means so much to me."

"What time's your surgery? Chad asked.

"Nine o'clock tomorrow morning."

"When are you leaving for the hospital?" Taylor asked.

"I'm supposed to check in at five."

"We'll come see you once school gets out." Sharpay said hugging Gabriella.

"Thank you."

Troy then helped Gabriella into his jeep. Gabriella smiled softly as she buckled her seat belt. The others watched nervously as Troy pulled out of the parking lot. The girls had tears in their eyes as their boyfriends tried to comfort them. All knew that if anything were to happen to Gabriella, it would be the end of Troy as well.

That evening, Ms. Montez was making dinner for everyone. Gabriella was helping Troy with his homework. She had insisted that he get his homework done before he went home so that he wouldn't be up late in to the night. Ms, Montez chuckled to herself as she watched the young couple have their usual bickering over homework.

"You are so helpless sometimes!" Gabriella exclaimed frustrated.

"Well, I'm sorry that I can't pick math up as fast as you can!" Troy argued. "Maybe if I didn't have a tutor who didn't expect me to get everything right after helping me with one problem!"

Gabriella groaned in annoyance as she stood up. She walked into the bathroom and slammed the door shut. Troy dropped his book onto the coffee table. He stood up and walked into the kitchen.

"Everything alright?" Ms. Montez asked him.

"This always happens when we're doing math." Troy explained. "We get frustrated with each other, but it never lasts more that five minutes."

Just then the bathroom door opened. Gabriella raced out and into Troy's arms. She crushed her lips against his as Troy stumbled back slightly with her running into him. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. Ms. Montez chuckled.

"She certainly has a way of apologizing." she said to herself. "Alright lovebirds. Dinner's ready."

Everyone sat down at the dinner table. Dinner talk was mainly stories about Gabriella growing up and about her father. Troy noticed Gabriella get quiet when they talked about her father. He leaned over and kissed her palm gently. Gabriella smiled and leaned her forehead against his.

Two hours later, Troy and Gabriella were out on the Montez house's porch. The two were making out on the bench swing. The Christmas lights created a glow about them. Troy pulled away.

"I got to go." Troy whispered. "I'll see you when I come to take you and your mom to the hospital."

Gabriella nodded her head. Troy stood up and went to get into his car. As he drove away, Gabriella smiled softly. She then walked back into the house. Ms. Montez met her in the hallway.

"That's a special guy you have there." she told her daughter.

"I'm very lucky." Gabriella agreed.

After lying in bed for almost an hour, Gabriella was still wide awake. She reached for her cell phone and her fingers dialed a familiar number. After two rings, the comforting voice answered.

"Hello?" Troy asked sounding like he had just woken up.

"I'm sorry for waking you up." Gabriella apologized.

"No, it's ok. Is everything alright?"

"Can you come over?"

"I'll be right there."

"My balcony door is unlocked."

Troy threw his blankets off and rushed to get dressed. His parents' door was still closed as he walked out into the hallway. A handwritten note was left on the kitchen counter explaining where he was and why. Troy pulled out of the driveway and drove to Gabriella's house.

Ten after she had hung up with Troy, Gabriella heard him jump on her balcony. She sat up and reached over to turn on a light to show Troy that she was still awake. Troy walked into the room and Gabriella gave him a small smile.

"I'm sorry." she said. "I can't sleep."

"It's alright." Troy said crawling into bed next to her.

He took his shoes off and lay down next to her. Gabriella turned the light off and they settled down to go to sleep. Troy wrapped his arm tightly around Gabriella's waist to hold her close to him. Gabriella felt her getting sleepier by the second.

At four, Ms. Montez walked into the bedroom. She felt her heart melt when she was Troy and Gabriella curled up together sound asleep. She walked over and turned the light on. Troy and Gabriella both groaned in annoyance at the sudden disturbance of their sleep.

"Time to get ready to go to the hospital."

Troy and Gabriella got out bed. Troy went out into the hallway to let Gabriella change. Gabriella put on a simple seat suit and walked out of her room. Troy wrapped his arms around her waist. Gabriella wrapped her arm around his torso and leaned against him.

Several hours later, Gabriella was getting ready to go into surgery. Ms. Montez was filling out some paper work while Troy was sitting next to the bed with his hand entwined with Gabriella's. The two were talking to each other quietly. Gabriella giggled as she brushed a stray lock of hair from Troy's forehead. Troy kissed her knuckles gently. Just then, the doctor walked in.

"We're ready." he announced.

"I love you." Troy told Gabriella as she was being wheeled to the operating room.

"I love you too." Gabriella whispered.

"I'll see you when you wake up."

Five hours later, Troy and Ms. Montez were still waiting. Gabriella's surgery was only supposed to be three hours long. Both were almost beside themselves with worry. Troy wrung his hands together.

"She didn't look very good." he said.

"Gabby will be fine." Mrs. Roberts said. "She's strong."

"Gabriella Montez?" a doctor asked.

"Right here!" Ms. Montez stated as they all stood up. "How's my daughter?"

"She's going to be fine. We just wanted to take our time, making sure we got everything."

"When can we see her?" Mr. Roberts asked.

"As soon as she wakes up."

"How long will that take?" Troy asked anxiously.

"She should be awake in about an hour. Ms. Montez, may I speak with you for a moment, please?"

"Is something wrong?" Ms. Montez asked.

"No, I just wanted to explain what's going to happen now."

"Alright."

"After the holidays, she's going to have to start radiation treatment while's in isolation for three days."

"That's all?"

"I think so. Gabriella should make a full recovery."

"Thank you so much."

An hour later, Troy had managed to sneak his way into Gabriella's room to make sure she saw him the moment she woke up. Troy took her hand in his and held it up to his cheek. Gabriella began to fidget in her sleep as she came out of her medicated sleep. Troy looked up at her from his seat.

"Come on, Gabby." He said gently. "Please wake up, Baby."

"Troy?" Gabriella whispered.

"Yeah, Baby, it's me. How are you feeling?"

"Groggy."

"Do you need anything?"

"Can you help me sit up?"

Troy stood up and helped her sit up in her bed. He then sat down next to her. Gabriella nestled herself in his arms as she rested her head against his chest.

Two hours later, everyone else began top arrive. Kelsi, Sharpay and Taylor rushed over and hugged Gabriella tightly. The boys each kissed her cheeks. Troy's parents came with some flowers and a teddy bear.

That evening, Gabriella had made Troy, his parents, her mother and her grandparents to go home and get some dinner. When they got back, Gabriella's room was empty. They began to panic.

"Gabby?" Troy called.

"Gabriella!" Ms. Montez cried.

"Calm down." Gabriella called.

"Where are you?"

"I'm changing into my pajamas!"

Just then the bathroom door opened. Gabriella slowly walked out of it. Coach Bolton and Troy helped her get back into bed. Gabriella reached over and pushed the nurses' button.

"Yes?"

"I'm all done now."

"I'll be right in to put your IV back in."

Troy smiled at his girlfriend. He knew that they had a long road ahead of them. But if anyone could do it, it was he and Gabriella. They could do it if they were together.


End file.
